Welcome to Cleveland, Dr Cooper
by RevNicolaAnne
Summary: Sheldon's summer gets interesting when he is offered an opportunity he can't refuse. Warning: NOT a SHAMY. Currently, not a romance of any sort, hints of Shenny sibling relationship. Features all supporting cast, and original characters.
1. Departure

**AN: Nothing but the plot is mine. **

It had been two days since Sheldon had taken off on a train, heading in a random direction. At first he picked a ticket heading east, the Trails and Rails route, on an old fashioned car was just the thing. The ride would land him in Chicago, where there was nothing particular he wanted to see, but it was 43 hours and he figured by the time he got there he could call Penny and the others and let them know he was safe. The ride also was a historical train, complete with old fashioned dinning car. And it went past the Grand Canyon, and he was told by the Amtrak employee had a wonderful view.

He had purchased a private room, paying extra so that he had it to himself. He could eat all meals on the train in the dinning car, and his room had a private toilet and sink. He figured he could wait until he checked into a hotel to shower, so he only purchased soap, toothpaste, and a toothbrush from the little shop in the train station. While the train did not provide wifi, there was an area where he could charge his laptop and his iPhone, so he was in no way worried.

It was a few hours before arrival at the Union Station in Chicago that he received a phone call from Dr. Gablehouser. His sabbatical had been granted, conditionally, of course. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio was working on some exciting things in Clean Energy. And they were willing to have a member of CalTech faculty come and work with them on a prospectus for NASA, whom both Universities had a relationship with. Most of the faculty at Case did double duty, not only having to teach multiple areas of physics, in addition to research. Many in the department were also only assistant professors at that. A seasoned researcher like Sheldon being on loan for the summer to Case would greatly aid in the joint project, and Sheldon would only have to give one class, ironically a History of Physics class, that was being opened up for Masters and Doctoral candidates. Sheldon, readily agreed, and when he got off the train in Chicago, quickly booked a trip to Cleveland.

It was then that he text-ed Penny, letting her know where he was headed and that he would call Amy, but no one but her was to know where he was. She text-ed him back 'will do MoonPie. Visit the Rock Hall for me?' This of course confused Sheldon. Since when did Penny have any interest in Geology? He put that out of his mind while he called Amy, letting her know he was out east, and he was safe and had a plan.

**AN: Up next, Sheldon comes to Cleveland. **


	2. Cleveland

**AN: Not Mine. I have a good idea about where I want to go with this story. It hit me this morning that some readers might think that because I am setting this in my one city, that means it will become a self insertion fic. It is not. I just know my city, and think that if Sheldon landed here he could be quite self sufficient and pleasantly surprised by all that we have to offer.**

The train to Cleveland was only a six hour trip, so Sheldon decided against getting a room, opting for a coach seat. His layover in Chicago was thankfully brief, just long enough to stretch his legs and have a quick meal in the thankfully clean pizza parlor near the station. Once on the train to Cleveland, he had work to do. Fortunately he was able to get a wifi signal and was able to research the area where he would be living and working for the next six months. He discovered that Case Western was affiliated with the Cleveland Clinic as well as University Hospital systems, so there was no lack of world class medical care available. There was also a very nice hotel right on campus where he could stay while arranging housing, so he booked himself a room. Next he would need to find a place to live, fortunately the graduate assistant from Case had already emailed him a list of nearby rental units.

One caught his eye right away. It was a development of townhouses right next to a train line! Each town house was multiple stories high, with a fancy artsy look on the outside, but they had their own laundry rooms, and a private deck on each roof. It was with in walking distance of the office he would be assigned, as well as many shopping and dining options. So of course, Sheldon called and booked a viewing for the next day. Unfortunately there did not seem to be any local comic book stores to the area where he would be working, but he found a list of four stores with in driving distance, and it seemed the campus had a Barnes and Nobles right there on Euclid ave that carries a small selection. After sending a quick email, the manager of the store confirmed that he can special order titles for students and faculty.

He knew that his first stop would have to be to acquire clothing and other basic needs, so he pulled up a map of the area and decided that he would go from the train station to the Tower City Mall, from where he could take either a bus, heaven forbid...or a rapid train to the area where the hotel and Campus was. The city boasted of a Heath Line rapid bus, that was aimed at Hospital and Campus employees, which according to reviews he found is said to be unlike any other bus and quite clean. Deciding he would have to see if it met his approval, he made note of the route on his iPhone.

Getting off the train the first thing to surprise Sheldon was that they had a science museum. Something he would have to return and visit during his stay. Cleveland was not much different that any other major city it seemed to him, but was for the most part much cleaner than he anticipated for a Northern city. It was a short stroll to Tower City, where he quickly found stores that sold everything he would normally wear and purchased a weeks supply of clothing as well as toiletries and a suitcase to carry it all in. Leaving the mall he was again surprised how efficient the health line really was, and how few people he actually had to be pressed against.

Arriving at the hotel, Sheldon checked in and went to his room. Again, he was pleasantly surprised to find the room met his standards even under black light. By this time it was almost bed time, so he took a shower, changed into the pajamas he purchased and climbed into the bed, delighted to find that BBCA was an offered station, and catching a rerun of Doctor Who.

While watching the show, he typed out an email to Penny to update her on his status.

_Dear Penny,_

_ As you no doubt recall from my text, I have secured employment for the summer at Case Western Reserve University. I arrived to discover that the city was not what I had imagined, and I am quite pleasently suprised. I have gone to a very interesting mall called Tower City that not only offers shopping and dinning but seems to be an office building on top, and a train station under. There are in fact three train lines for local travel that all converge under the structure. Quite fascinating. I have also discovered that they possess a science museum. I have taken note to go visit at a later date. I am now checked into my hotel, showered and watching a delightful episode of Doctor Who where the 11th Doctor must pretend to be human and rent a room in order to figure out the mysterious interference to the Tardis. I would imagine you would say that parallels my situation, having to fit into a new location and discover myself. Or some such nonsense. _

_ I will keep you updated, as I look for lodgings of my own, and begin this project at Case. I would however, like some clarification. What rock hall are you referring to? there seems to be numerous geological exhibits in town, and I am unsure which one you wanted me to visit for you. Although, as you know I am not fond of geology, I am more than willing to visit the one you wish and to let you know how it is. _

_Your Friend,_  
_Dr. Sheldon L. Cooper, B.S. M.S, M.A. Ph.D, Sc.D_


	3. Meanwhile

**AN: As always, not mine. This chapter is more of an interlude to let you know the gang's reactions during the previous two chapters. The focus of this story is however, Sheldon and his self-discovery. I have a few ideas of other directions it could go in, but am up in the air which path to take.**

Meanwhile in Pasadena:

Amy Farah Fowler knew something was up. After her outburst and Leonard for letting Sheldon go, she realized Penny did not seem at all concerned. Penny, who she often feared had a more intimate emotional relationship with Sheldon than Amy herself did as his girlfriend. She decided to keep an eye on Penny for the next few days, see if perhaps Sheldon was calling her as well. She had tried having Leonard track Sheldon's phone again, but the password had been changed. Perhaps she could 'borrow' Penny's laptop and put in spyware so she can check for emails from Sheldon?

Leonard was relieved. After the assault via pillow from Amy, there was no further fallout from Sheldon's departure. He was now able to set the thermostat however he like, and use the bathroom whenever he pleased. He had informed Penny that he didn't feel right moving in with her while Sheldon was gone, so she could start moving her stuff into his apartment, and that way when Sheldon got back he could either move across the hall or find himself somewhere else to live. Penny had just given him a dirty look at that, claimed a headache and went to bed.

Howard and Bernadette found out that Sheldon had left three days after the fact. Stewart was turning out to be an excellent aid for Mrs. Walowitz, but the couple still spent most of their weekend making sure that it would actually work. It was on Monday at lunch that Howard realized that Sheldon was not with them and asked what was going on. Learning that Sheldon had departed the state the previous Friday night, he text-ed his wife about the situation. She of course, felt bad. They had been so caught up in the situation with Howie's mom that they failed as friends to be there for the other members of their group. She would have to get together with Penny and Amy and make sure both women were ok. After all, even she could see that Sheldon was Penny's real "bestie".

Raj found out about Sheldon's departure the next day, when he arrived at the apartment not long after Emily left his. He had intended to find Penny and ask her for advice on what to do when a girl has spent the night and left items behind. But discovering that Sheldon was gone, he immediately felt the need to console Penny, even though she did not appear at all upset. He decided to take her out for manicures so they could talk.

Penny of course, would not turn down a manicure, so went with Raj. She of course informed him that she is well aware that Sheldon is fine, and that he has kept his promise to keep her informed. He in turn had asked her to keep his whereabouts secret, and she is honoring Sheldon's request.


	4. First Day

**AN: From this point on my portrayal of CWRU is fictional. I will do my best to describe the campus as is, but I do not wish to use real people in my fiction nor am I personally familiar with the Physics Program. **

The next morning Sheldon followed his normal morning routine, and then went off to the Physics building at Case Western. He was met by graduate student named Johnathan, and was shown around the facilities. The director of the program had put aside a small office for the new arrival, and Sheldon immediately requested additional white boards as well as his preferred dry erase markers. After getting situated in the new office, which involved wiping everything down with sanitizer and re-arranging the furniture to find the best "spot" to sit, it was time to meet with the team he would be working with. There were six people total on the team, two tenured professors, one adjunct professor, two graduate students, and Sheldon. The team spent the morning going over progress to date, and Sheldon was quite excited for what the job would have to offer.  
That afternoon, after having lunch on campus, he toured the classrooms, as the course he would be teaching started the next Monday. For the time being, he would be working half days on campus while he arranged housing and settled in, and then come Monday he would be working with the team from 8:30 until 12:30, have a break for lunch, class was 1:15 until 2:45 and he was to have office hours from 3:00-4:00.

Leaving campus he took the health line and went to view the first townhouse that he had researched. Located at E.119th street, the buildings consisted of modern brick three story units, with balconies and roof-top access. Each unit was quite modern, a little too much for Sheldon's taste actually, and had two bedrooms and two baths. The next set of townhouses were right on Euclid ave. They were metallic monstrosities from the outside, all red and blue cubes, but were much more traditional on the inside, with three floors and roof top patio as well. The one available was rent to own, had three bedrooms, two and a half baths with a laundry room on the ground floor. While the outside was not what Sheldon would have found tasteful, he fell in love with the floor plan and instantly decided this was the place and started paperwork to move in. Once the details were taken care of, and a check written for deposit Sheldon was informed he would be contacted the next day on the basis of his security and background check and if all was well he could pick up the keys the next day.

Walking back to the stop for the health line, he literally bumped into a tall, dark skinned man wearing a Superman t-shirt. Both men apologized, and the other man introduced himself as Dr. Robin Thurndale, Professor of Art History at the Cleveland Institute of Art. He noticed Sheldon's the Flash t-shirt and asked if he was a fan of the Genre. Sheldon admitted that he was indeed a fan of comic books, and was in fact distracted by looking up locations for purchasing said books on his iPhone when the aforementioned bumping into occurred. Robin invited Sheldon to join him for supper, he was headed to Chipoltle when the bumping into occurred and perhaps they could continue the conversation there, as Robin was a avid collector himself.

Hours later, settling into bed for the night, Sheldon was quite pleased with himself. He had a wonderful job, found a nice place to live in, and already made a friend. He would forgo calling anyone tonight, but sent a quick text off to Penny instead of emailing. ' **Everything going great, thus far. Managed to meet a fellow comic book enthusiast, and fellow Ph.d by the name of Robin and had a delightful meal together. Good night. -SC**.'


	5. Emails

**Author's Note: Note Mine, Unbetta'd, etc. etc. and so forth**

**To address an frequent comment in reviews about Leonard and apt. 4A, I am unsure of the laws in California, but everywhere I have ever lived it states that after a period of time anyone living in a unit has to be added to the lease. I figure Sheldon is the primary lease holder, but that Leonard is listed. All Sheldon would have to do is have is name removed from the Lease to leave the unit to Leonard.**

**Thank you to everyone who has taken time to read, review, and favorite this story. It means a great deal to me.**

The next day, Sheldon was contacted by the management company and given keys to the unit he had visited the day before. After picking up the keys and giving the townhouse a thorough cleaning, he called Robin who had offered to take him to purchase furniture. They spent the remainder of the day purchasing new items and arranging for them to be delivered the following afternoon. They again shared their evening meal, this time at Panara Breads. Already Sheldon was developing a new routine. Robin was a delightful companion, despite not being involved in the sciences. Once again, Sheldon returned to his hotel room late in the evening and prepaired for bed. However, he decided to check his email.

There were no less then twenty emails from Amy, demanding to know where he was and when they would be able to Skype. He had an email from both his mother, and Missy, congratulating him on his summer position and his mother reminding him to find a church. What surprised him however, were the emails from his friends back in California.

_**Sheldon,**_

_** Bernie and I wanted to let you know that we are sorry for not being there when everything blew up for you. My wife ripped me a new one for not being a good friend, let me tell you. We hired Stewart to take care of my Mom, and let me tell you seeing that man happy and getting on well with Mother is a frightening thing! But, Bernie is correct in that we should have been there for you, what with so much change happening in your life. I hope wherever you are, that you are safe and well. Please, let me know if there is anything we can do for you. Even if it is just sending you your weekly comics to your current location. **_

_**Your friend,**_  
_**Howard**_

_Howard (and Bernadette),_

_ I thank you for your concern. I have found a place for the summer and am employed in an exciting new project and have just aquired a new dwelling. I do not feel comfortable at this juncture letting anyone outside of my family know where I am located, as I need to adjust to all of these changes on my own. I do appreciate your friendship and your offer. I do not need anything however, I have met someone who is not only a fellow comic book enthusiast, but also a Doctor of Art History who I have been spending my free time with. I will keep in touch, please do the same. _

_Dr. Sheldon L. Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D, Sc.D._

_**Sheldon,**_

_** Hey Man, I showed up to your apartment and found out that you had left. I am sorry I wasn't there to say goodbye dude. I spent the day with Penny and she assured me that you are well, but I needed to make sure for myself. I hope you know that if you need anything I am here for you. Take care of yourself, ok man? And I will keep you up to date on all the campus gossip! **_

_**Good Luck,**_  
_**Raj**_

_Rajish,_

_ Thank you for your concern, but please to not fill my inbox with pointless gossip about the comings and going at CalTech. I have found a place to live and work for the summer, and my family alone know where I am at. I have even made a new friend, who is a Doctor of Art History whom has as deep a love of comic books as I. _

_Dr. Sheldon L. Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D, Sc.D._

He also responded to the emails from Amy with a quick message that he is fine, after making sure that his IP address was masked and he could not be traced by anyone. From there, he decided to email Penny, going in to much greater details about his new townhouse as well as his time with Robin. Satisfied, he went to bed that night feeling hopeful for the coming months.


	6. The Start of Something New

**AN: I am getting reviews saying that I shouldn't list Amy as a character if this is not a Shamy fic. I know that Amy has yet to appear much so far, but in this chapter that changes. I am hoping to show through this fic how changing a closed system can create growth, not only for Sheldon, but Amy as well. The primary focus is on Sheldon, but as I progress Amy will be doing her own soul searching. **

Amy was beginning to question herself. Sheldon had replied to her numerous emails saying that he was fine, and to leave it at that. She knew that he had been in contact with Howard and Raj because Bernadette had mentioned it when she had called her at lunch. What did that mean for their relationship? She couldn't seem to concentrate on her work this afternoon in the least. Her hopes had been that with the many changes in the group that Sheldon would see that it was time to start forming more significant pair bonds, and perhaps take their relationship to the next step.

As she was sitting in her lab deep in though, she received a skype request from the last person she expected, Missy Cooper.

"Hello Missy, what can I help you with today" asked Amy after answering the call.

Missy appeared tired and worn on the screen, her young infant in her arms. "I just wanted to check in on you and see what was going on with that brother of mine. He told Mama and I that he was gone for the summer and that we were not to let anyone in California know where he was. Have the two of you been fighting?" Missy said in an anxious voice.

"No, no nothing of the sort. So you do know where Sheldon is than? " Amy perked up as she looked into her laptop's screen.

"Now don't get any ideas into that big brain of yours. I am not betraying Shelly. I just wanted to know what brought about this sudden departure" Missy narrowed her eyes at the other woman as she spoke.

"Well, things did not go well with Sheldon's attempts to switch the focus of his research. On top of that, there are many changes in the dynamic of the social group these days, what with my Bestie finally agreeing to marry Leonard. And it seems the comic book shop has burned down. I was hoping that Sheldon would see this as an opportunity to move forward and give up that idle pastime as well as bring us closer together. However, he left and all I got was a phone call telling me he would be gone for the foreseeable future." Amy replied.

"Now, Amy hon, it seems to me that you are wishin' for something that ain't ever going to happen. My brother without those comic books he loves so much is like a cat with out any tall hiding places. It gets anxious. I have to wonder if you don't agree with the things that makes Shelly, Shelly...than what are you even doing with him in the first place?"

Amy thought about this for a moment, what was it that drew her to Sheldon. She knew that he would never likely become a demonstrative, affectionate boyfriend. And they did have very little in common outside of science. Could it be that she was guilty of fixating on him because he was the first man to ever show her attention? Was she guilty of being a poor friend in trying to shape him into someone he was not?

"I really don't know Missy. I think I need to take a honest look at things and remove my rose tinted glasses as they say. Thank you for your time, I must get back to work now however." Amy ended the call, and turned to her monkeys. Perhaps, a new experiment was in order...

Meanwhile in Cleveland...

Sheldon and Robin had finished supervising the delivery of Sheldon's furniture. For once, Sheldon had gotten a full sized bed, and the master bedroom was all fixed up. The room closest was fitted with white boards and desk, and on the wall a framed print of Superman that was a reproduction of the original concept art done right here in this city. It had been a housewarming gift from Robin and Sheldon was quite taken with it. The office also had a futon couch, because Mary was already planning on coming up in July to visit, and had said to be prepared to have three guests (Missy was bringing the baby with her). The third bedroom only housed a twin bed, and in the closet a playpen for when his family arrived to visit.

"So all settled in then, do you want to order some Indian for dinner? I can go pick it up and then we can watch Star Trek Into Darkness." Robin had seen the original Star Trek reboot movie, but had never gotten into Trek before. Sheldon was looking forward to introducing his new friend to the wonders of science fiction. Unlike his friends back in California, Robin shared many of Sheldon's quirks. He had routines and rules much like Sheldon himself did. Not at all what Sheldon would have figured an Artist would be like. However, Robin was less an artist than a historian. His expertise was in Renaissance painters. What Newton was to Sheldon, Da Vinci was to Robin. And that was something Sheldon could respect. They had spent the night before debating the golden ratio while they ate dinner. It seemed to Sheldon that in his new friend he had finally found someone who was his equal. Robin had grown up in Upstate New York, and was a child prodigy as well. He had attended NYU at 14, and had his first Ph.D by the time he was 19, and had gotten his second from Oxford when he was 22. Granted, Sheldon was still had the higher IQ, but by a narrow margin. Robin's was 179, only a few points lower than his own 187. And like Sheldon, Robin had a parent that was a religious nut! Robin's father was a minister, his mother having passed away when he was in England.

"Yes, that sounds acceptable" Sheldon finally answered, before telling Robin his detailed requirements for his nightly meal.


	7. Truth and Consequences, The Girls

**AN: Thanks to all the positive reviewers. This chapter focuses on the aftermath of Missy's talk with Amy.** **I am not quite satisfied with it, so if anyone has any feedback, please PM me and I can edit this. Still looking for a beta reader if there are any volunteers!**

Amy had spent the better part of the night following the skype call with Missy contemplating things. She was starting to think that perhaps her lack of prior socialization was negatively impacting her relationships. If she was seeing Sheldon as the answer to having a boyfriend and attempting to make him into someone else, what about her bestie, Penny? She never did give Penny much of a chance, just decided that she was her best friend. Then she ditched her repeatedly to hang out with Bernedette while Penny was at her lowest point. She even blatenly encouraged Penny not only to drink too much, but to feel that Leonard was the answer to her happiness. Is Penny even really her friend, or does she just tolerate her for Sheldon's sake? These questions kept Amy up all night.

The next morning Amy was a wreck. She called in sick to work, and then headed out to see Penny.

When Penny opened the door, she was immediately concerned. "What happened? Are you alright? Come in" Penny said as she ushered the other women into the chaos of her apartment. Amy was grateful, obviously Penny did care about her, or she wouldn't be looking so concerned.

"I received a skype call from Missy Cooper yesterday. And she pointed out some harsh truths to me. I have been unable to sleep and need to talk to you. Are we friends?" Amy said as she sat down.

"What, of course we are friends Ames. I mean, at first you came off as a bit too intense but I we have gotten to know each other and I care a great deal about you".

"Are we best friends? Because It seems to me I forced that upon you the same way I tried to force Sheldon into being what I wanted."

"Truthfully, Sheldon is my best friend, well more like a brother to me. But you are my best female friend" Penny replied, putting her hand on Amy's knee.

A sob escaped Amy, as she turned and threw her arms around Penny. "Thank you Penny. That means so much to me. And I know I have been a lousy friend. I ignored you when you needed to vent about that movie, and I push you to do things, and I enable your drinking, and I have belittled your intelligence."

"Oh hush now, you might treat me like I am not as smart as you, but we both know that is true. You never make me feel stupid, unlike the boys"

The two women continued talking all morning. Mid-afternoon Penny received an email from Sheldon, full of excited words about his new friend Robin. Amy had seen the email, as she was sitting next to Penny on the couch. Both women instantly thought that this Robin must be a woman. And Amy was brought to tears. Penny was torn, for on one hand she was glad that Sheldon was making new friends. On the other, he was ignoring Amy in an attempt to figure out what he needed...but it wasn't fair to be spending time with another woman with out letting Amy know.

" I am not going to respond to this email. You and I are going to stay here the rest of the day. We will order pizza, and hang out. We can do each others nails and hair and just have girl time. Ok, Ames. But no drinking. You are right, I get too complacent when I have been drinking."

"Thank you Penny" Amy said as she once more hugged the blonde.

They spend the remainder of the day resolving many of the issues that they both kept inside. Amy concluded that she needed to work on her self image, and that there were healthier ways to communicate and keep people in her life. She wasn't going to do anything about the Sheldon situation yet, but once she figured out what she really wanted and needed she would talk to him about it as an adult. Penny realized that she did have a problem with drinking, and dumped out all of the alcohol in the apartment. She also realized that she needed to own up to her own shortcomings as well, including her insecurities about her education and her relying on her looks. When Leonard came home from work, he didn't find Penny waiting for him in 4A so he knocked on her door. He was a bit peeved to find Penny both sober and emotional and holed up with Amy in her apartment. Penny told Leonard in no uncertain terms that she was having a girls night with Amy and he could occupy himself for the night. Penny then texted Bernie and invited her over, on the condition that it be a sober girls night, and for the first time ever the three women were able to talk openly and honestly with out any liquid courage. Bernie went home around 2 am, but Amy spend the night. For all three friends, it was the start of a new era of more adult and honest friendship. 


End file.
